- Tai Tuivasa suffered a submission loss in the first round
- The Australian star has not won since February 2022
- It was Tuivasa’s fourth consecutive loss in the UFC
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Australian birthday boy Tai Tuivasa suffered a first-round submission loss to Marcin Tybura in their UFC heavyweight showdown in Las Vegas.
Tuivasa, who turned 31 on the night of the fight, entered Saturday’s fight (Sunday AEDT) ranked ninth in the world and eager to get back on the winners’ list after three straight losses.
But he was no match for Polish world number 9 Tybura, who was left bloodied after taking some early blows but gained the advantage when he floored Tuivasa.
Tai Tuivasa was submitted in the first round against Marcin Tybura in their heavyweight matchup.
The Australian cult hero has not achieved a victory since February 2022 in the UFC
Tybura unleashed a flurry of punches on Tuivasa once the pair fell to the canvas, but it was a rear-naked choke that spelled the Australian’s undoing.
Tuivasa struggled to breathe while fighting the choke for as long as he could, but the referee stopped the fight with 53 seconds left in the first round.
“I feel great,” Tybura said after the win.
‘I got a victory over a very strong opponent. “Fights like these make me very happy.”
The defeat is a blow to Tuivasa’s hopes of climbing back up the heavyweight rankings.
Tuivasa’s last victory in the UFC octagon was in February 2022, when he defeated Derrick Lewis by knockout in the second round.
Tybura was left bloodied after taking some initial blows, but soon gained the advantage.
Since then, the man known as ‘Bam Bam’ has lost to world number 2 Ciryl Gane, world number 3 Sergei Pavlovich, world number 6 Alexander Volkov and now Tybura.
Fellow Australian Josh Culibao also suffered a disappointing result in Las Vegas, losing his featherweight fight by split decision against American fighter Danny Silva.
The judges scored the three-round battle 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.